BACKGROUND Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) shows significant activity across a wide spectrum of conditions, but its usefulness is rather limited because of its low bioavailability. Use of nanoparticle formulations to enhance curcumin bioavailability is an emerging area of research. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In the present study, curcumin-loaded apotransferrin nanoparticles (nano-curcumin) p...

Neural stem and progenitor cells (NSC/NPCs) are multipotent self-renewing cells that are able to generate neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes (OLs) within the adult central nervous system. We cultured NSC/NPCs from the rat subventricular zone as neurospheres (NS) and studied apoTransferrin (aTf) effects on oligodendroglial specification and maturation. Our findings suggest that aTf acts at...

We have previously demonstrated that aTf (apotransferrin) accelerates maturation of OLs (oligodendrocytes) in vitro as well as in vivo. The purpose of this study is to determine whether aTf plays a functional role in a model of H/I (hypoxia/ischaemia) in the neonatal brain. Twenty-four hours after H/I insult, neonatal rats were intracranially injected with aTf and the effects of this treatment ...

Delivery of iron to K562 cells by diferric transferrin involves a cycle of binding to surface receptors, internalization into an acidic compartment, transfer of iron to ferritin, and release of apotransferrin from the cell. To evaluate potential feedback effects of iron on this system, we exposed cells to iron chelators and monitored the activity of the transferrin receptor. In the present stud...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Doxorubicin is a potent anticancer drug and a major limiting factor that hinders therapeutic use as its high levels of systemic circulation often associated with various off-target effects, particularly cardiotoxicity. The present study focuses on evaluation of the efficacy of doxorubicin when it is loaded into the protein nanoparticles and delivered intravenously in rats be...

Human serum apotransferrin was exposed to the isolated myeloperoxidase-H2O2-halide system or to phorbol ester-activated human neutrophils. Such treatment resulted in a marked loss in transferrin iron binding capacity as well as concomitant iodination of transferrin. Each component of the cell-free system (myeloperoxidase, H2O2, iodide) or neutrophil system (neutrophils, phorbol ester, iodide) w...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) also known as malignant hepatoma is a most common liver cancer. Doxorubicin (Doxo) is an anti-cancer drug having activity against a wide spectrum of cancer types. Clinical Utility of doxo has been limited due to its poor bioavailability and toxicity to heart and spleen. Furthermore, cancer chemotherapeutics have limited oral absorption. Transferrin...